Young Dro

Atlanta hip-hop icon Young Dro rose to stardom in the mid-2000s, epitomizing the swagger and infectiousness of the burgeoning Dirty South era. • Inspired by his friend Chris “Daddy Mack” Smith—he of Kriss Kross fame—Dro began rapping around 1999. After signing to Tight IV Life Records, he released his 2001 debut album, I Got That Dro. • Dro eventually inked a deal with T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records. In 2006, he released his most notable album, Best Thang Smokin’, which opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. • The album’s standout single, “Shoulder Lean”, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and cracked the Top 10 of the Hot 100. In 2007, Dro made XXL’s first-ever Freshman Class list. • Dro appeared on labelmate Yung L.A.’s 2008 single “Ain’t I”, a Top 5 hit on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. • In 2013, Dro delivered High Times. Its lead single, “FDB”, peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and inspired a legion of internet memes.